So i just got the game and decided to ask how should i spend my special points. Idea is to be lone sniper so i was thinking something like this=

S=8 so i can use anti-material at some point.
P=8
E=5
C=2 won't be needing companios.....hence "lone sniper"
I=6
A=6
L=5

i will prolly won't be using much v.a.t.s for targeting unless enemy comes close and i need to rely on my side arm. I'll go with Normal/hardcoe the first time through.

TAGS
guns
sneak
lockpick

Anythoughts on TRAITS?
The one with +20%increase in accuaracy? Small frame?

anythoughts on PERKS?

Thank you in advance.
-Niko-

You'll want to use VATS, unless you want to waste a lot of bullets. The critters in this game twitch like junkies on crack withdrawal. You don't need that much STR, as you can take the weapons handling perk to reduce str req by 2.

Endurance determines how many implants you can get (END = # of implants), so factor that in (they do not count as stat boost but as perma effect, so they cannot be counted for perk-taking). Also the Better Criticals perk (which boosts critical damage by 50%) requires 6 LCK.

Otherwise other perk choices should be pretty self-evident when you get to the perk menu and review them all.

So lowering strengt to 6 and putting those points to luck and endurance?

I don't know what you're talking about with needing V.A.T.S, I hardly ever use it, even at very close range. I never use it to snipe since at the range you will be sniping it has 0% accuracy. I'm horrible at build optimization but I would put at least one mroe point in luck, maybe take it out of perception.

Although the manual and guides and so on say that Perception increases Accuracy of All Attacks, it's been confirmed in the GECK that it does not. This was apparently scrapped at some point and they never updated the documentation.

While your high Perception will give a bonus to Lockpicking and so on, it wont do anything for accuracy. True it will let you see red blips on the radar sooner, but as a Sniper you should be scoping your routes as you go anyway, so...

Traits: Trigger Discipline and Built to Destroy would be good.

VATS, yeah as a sniper focusing on Distance, VATS really svcks for range unless you heavily invest in the VATS related perks.

I definitely wouldn't take built to destroy as a sniper since all of the good sniper weapons are rare and expensive to replace, except for the varmint riffle. Plus they typically do more than enough damage on their own.

If you actually snipe in decent range VATS is useless. That said, it is still your best chance to dispatch a group in a second.

Trigger Discipline would be hell in buildings and caves, I would only consider it when we know more about the game.

As for HIgh Endurance......I am not sure it I wanna give up on Luck or Agility just yet because I am not sure if the extra 3 implants are worth it.

Straight from the CE Game Guide under the Archetypes section:

Basil "The Sniper" Crowcross - A sneaky ranged specialist with maxed critical chance but minimal social skills.

S: 6 (8*)
P: 8
E: 5
C: 2 (1*)
I: 2 (1*)
A: 8
L: 9

Skills
Guns
Sneak
Repair

Traits
Four Eyes, Small Frame (Stealthy Sniper) or
Trigger Discipline, Built to Destroy (Critical Hit Specialist/Sharpshooter)

Perks
Sniper, Commando, Finesse, Center of Mass, Better Criticals, Rapid Reload, Weapon Handling, Silent Running, Hand Loader, Confirmed Bachelor, Bloody Mess, Hunter Entomologist, Robotics Expert, Travel Light, Living Anatomy.

Weapons
All Rifles, especially: Varmint Rifle, Hunting Rifle, Sniper Rifle, and Anti-Material Rifle.

Other Equipment
1st Recon Beret, Stealth boys, Weapon Repair kits, Reinforced Leather armor for Travel Light perk, Sunglasses for Four Eyes trait.

Implants
Perception
Agility
Luck

Followers
Boone
ED-E
or no one.

I'm gonna try something like this aswell, except that my character will be a "charming" kinda guy, so i'm investing keeping a few points in charma.
I'm gonna try and dump agillity completely, since i rarely sneak (and that skill can be brough up by skill points anyway) and i'm favouring iron sights over VATS.
Keep in mind that even with 1 agi, you will still have 67 AP which is enough for 1 shot with strong riffles and 2-3 (sometimes more) with the close combat weapons (shotguns, machine guns etc.) so you'd still be able to dispatch of closing groups of enemies.

And yes, get the Weapon Handling perk, it's superb.


As for traits. I'm personally going with Wild Wasteland + Good Natured. I find that with Good Natured i gain 25 usefull points and only lose 10. Quite a good tradeof.

Good Natured is good untill you enter Unarmed event....I have just been in one.

I'm on the 360 and I've only been on the joystick for less than a year. It is not as accurate or as responsive as the mouse. I don't even trust that I've actually hit the creature until my crosshair is smack-dab on the creature (although the engine seem to register if you even hit around the creatures, but that's console-lazyness and insulting for a PC FPS player, so I have to - for psychological reason - aim my crosshair perfectly on target).

I only ever snipe out of VATS though, but that's when you're sneaking and have a good rifle; and you're not always given a great plain of fields for you to snipe in; and your enemy's not gonna just stand there and let you snipe them.

But when I say he'll need VATS it's not to snipe (h-yeah, VATS is actually less accurate than if you do it with iron sight), it's for the close-quarter actions where your enemies are either flying around you circles or jumping up and down and it's just easier to VATS them and save bullets.

Well as opposed to many other perks, you get a straight bonus to skills rather than a tradeoff. Atleast if you plan on focussing on certain weapon groups which i am.

Depending on your playstyle a high Luck, the Built to Destroy trait, and the Finesse perk may or may not be very useful. If you play stealthy and snipe your enemies from a distance before they actually see you then you don't really need them because all your shots will be automatic sneak criticals anyway. But if you play in a more straightforward manner as a mid range sharpshooter then a high Luck, the Built to Destroy trait, and the Finesse perk should become your priorities.